Coupling apparatus for fluid-pressure brake mechanisms.



PIATENTEDMAR. 5, 1907. BR. ESSURB BRAKE MECHANISMS.

4 G. E. KELLY (is G. F. ROY COUPLING APPARATUS FOR FLUID PR APPLICATIONFILED MAY 1,1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 345,374. PATENTED MAR. 5, 1907.

G. E. KELLY & G. P. ROYER. COUPLING APPARATUS FOR FLUID PRESSUREBRAKE-MECHANISMS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY1,1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Fab :2

No- 845,874. PATENTED MAR. 5, 1907. G. E. KELLY & G. E. ROYBR. COUPLINGAPPARATUS FOR FLUID PRESSURE BRAKE MECHANISMS.

APPLIUATION FILED MAY 1, 1906. w

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

. Ill"! I wi/tmeooaa I I d the ears.

'ing a head 1 and a stem 2.

- UNKTE STATES GEORGE E. KELLY AND GEORGE F.

PATENT ori ron.

ROYER, ()F WlliKES-BARRE, PENN- SYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS, BY Dlltlfl 3T ANl)MESNE ASSiGNiliENTb, TO THE liCELLY-ARNOLD MANUFAC'ITURINQ COMPANY, OFWILKES- .BARRE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORA'llON OF PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 5, 1907.

- Application filed May 1, 1906. Serial No. 314.705.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Gnouon E. IG LLY and Gnoaon F. ltoYEn, citizensofthe United States, and residing at fillies-Barre, Lu zerne county,State'of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Coupling Apparatus for Fluid-Pressure Brake Mechanism, of whichv thefollowing is a specification.

The presentinvention relates to improvements in automatic couplers forfluid-pressure brake apparatus i'orrailwaymars of the general characterof that described and claimed in. Letters Patent No. 811,068, issued onJanuary 80, 1906.

The object of the present invention is to provide a construction whichwill be more simple and compact than that illustrated in said patent,whereby the cost of nnmul'actur ing the article will he reduced withoutsncrificing any of the adwintages thereol'.

The present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, inwhich---- Figure 1. is a side view ol the ends of two cars having theimproved brake-coupler at- {taclied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a llOllZUllllitl sectional view through one ol the sections oithe coupler, onan. enlarged scale. F 1g. 2) is a ver tical sectionalview through lhc same section of coupler on the line 3 i; of l ig. .2.Fig. 4 is a plan view of he coupler, partly in section. Fig. 5 is a faceview of one of the coupler-sections. Fig. 6 illustrates aslighlly-dill'erent Way 01' supporting the coupler sections 'lrom Fig. 7is a sectional view of the parts showninFig. '6. Figv H is a detailview.

Referring to the drawings, A ll designate the platforms of tworailway-ears, which are represented as coupled together by adraftcoupling (3. As these parlsmay-he o'l any common construction, theyare merely illustrated conventionally in the drawing.

To the draw-head of each section of the drait-emipler is secured onesection of the improved coupling forming the subject of this invention,each of said sections compris- The heads 1 are of such form that whenbrought together they are adaptedto closely engage one with the other inorder that the several ducts or passages iherein may he in propercommunication one with the other. As shown, each of said heads isprovided at one side with a guide or passage 3 and. at the opposite sidewith a projecting guide-pin 4, which when the sections come together isadapted to enter the guide 3 on the opposite head and properly aline theseveral ports or ducts in the coupler.

Each couplm-head is provided with three ducts 5, (i, and 7, theintermediate one 01' which is connected with and adapted to form part ofthe trainhrake pipe. The duct 5 at the upper side of the coupler lormsapart of the whistle-operating conduit, while the lower duct 7 is [orthe steam-pipe used for heating or other purposes. Each of said duets isprovided with 'a suitable valve, which when. the couplingheads areseparated is held in the position shown in Fig. 3 by the pressure oflluid on their. rear or inner faces. When the two heads 1 ol' thecoupler are interlocked, however, the valves of one headv contact withthe (mrresponding valves on the other, and all of them are i'orcedinward, so

as to open the ports therein, whereby a continuous fluid-passage isprovided from the ducts connected with one. car to thecorrespondingducts onthe other.

. As shown, the valves 8 ol' the brake and whistle conduits each consistol' a cylindrical body open at its outer end and having in its side wallnear the opposite end thereof a se ries of ports 5).. A gasket 10 isarranged against the inner head or end of said body and projectslaterz'rlly some distance beyond the same, said gasket being heldinplace by I a suitable nut ll, serewedon a stem projecting from the endof the valvcb dy. At the outer end the valve is provided with a gasket13, adapted to lit closely against a seat in its guide andsupportirig-piece when the valve is opened. When the valve is closed, asshown in Fig. 3, the outer gasket 13 thereof projects beyond the lace ofthe body of the coupler-head and the inner gasket 10 is in close contactwith the wall of the coupler, so that ClIG'OSCH-PO ol' fluid from theconduits is positively prevented.

The valve 8 of the steam-duct 7 consists of a cylindrical body, similarto that of the valves 8 ol' the air-conduits 5 and 6, having similarports near its inner end. At its inner end however, it is provided witha metal -llange having seated in correspondin ijly-formed seat, and

a gasket, -n"pachin,g-ring H is titted in a recess in i the valve-easingand bears (lose 5 against th b dy ol the Valve.

VVith each ol the ducts 6 is connected an elbow 1!, which is'eonm-ctedto a coupling,

hereinafter deseribed, with the' air-brake pipe on the ear, and fromeach of said elbows 10 extends a branelrl 5, which is open at its l'reeend adjaeenl the lace ol' the eouplerd tltl.

As shown, this branch duct is suitably attached to the side of the(UUPltF-llt'tltl'1, and

in it is arranged a rotary valve 16, having at :5 its upper end alaterally-projeeting arm 17,

by means of which the valve may be rotated to open communieation betweenthe duct 6 and the atmosphere or to close the branch or outlet pipe 15.

2o Normally the vah s 16 are in their closed iosition where the ducts (3are cut oil' from columunication with the atmosphere and means areprovided whereby on the accidental separation ol' the coupler-heads 1said valves will be rotated to open the pipes in which they arearranged/and. thereby allow the pressure in the ducts (i to be reducedand the brakes controlled thereby to come into action and check themovement ol the cars.

6 7 In the embodiment of the. invention illus trated each of thecoupler-heads is provided with a swinging book .18, the free end ol'each Of which is adapted to engage with the arm 17 of the valve 16 onthe other coupler-head 5 when said heads are in contact. It will be seenthat when the coupler-heads are separated, the books 18 being inengagen'icnt with the valve-arms 17, that both of said valves will beturned and the ducts 6 in both coup 4o ler-heads brought intoconnnunieation with the atmosphere, and thus cause a setting-of thebrakes, as above described. In order, that such a setting of the brakesmaybe prevented when the cars are intentionally un- 43 coupled, meansare provided by which the books 18 are raised from'engagem'ent with thevalve-arms 17 whenever the draft-coupler C is opened by the operation ofeither of the uncoupling-levers 19 on the. cars. ,As

shown, a short chain or cable 20 connects each of the hooks 18 with anuncoupling-s lever19. 1

Each hook 18 is secured to one end of a rock-shaft silitably journaledinthe coupler head, and to the opposite end-of said shaft is secured atrip-arm 21', the fr'c'eend'pf whieh extends beneathaflange or; lip 22on the hook 18 of the, other coupler-section when the heads are incontact. Therefore when 6c eitherhook 18 is disengaged from its valvearm1-7 the trip-arm 21 thereof will be simultaneously rocked and cause thebook 18 on the other 'coupl'erssection to be moved from enga ementlwithits valvearm 17. Thereo5 fore 0th hooks 18 Will be moved to inop .tomaintain the heads in proper relation leading from. the brake-duet 6.

brake mechanism wh ch shall consist of metal a beveled l'ace ailaptedtobe erative position when either coupling-lever l 9 is operated.

' flhe coupler may be supported in various ways. As shown in .l lgs. 1to 3, each section thereol is supported by a, plate secured to thedraw-head of the draft-coupling C.

'lhs plate is provided at its sides with depending ribs'o'r flanges, towhich are secured hangers Z-t, the lower ends of which are connected bya plate or eross-bar that extends through slots 26, l'ormed in the stem2 of'the coupler-section. This stemis hollow, and within it. is arrangeda suitable coiled spring'lZ-T, one end ol' which abuts against the innerface of the head of the coupler seetion, while the other end bears on aplate 28, hav-- in; a projeetionlitt, extending, into a recess 01'groove in one edge of the bar25. The stem 2 is'also' provided withlaterally-projeeting; studs 30, which are connected by suitable- 8chains 31 with the plate 23. Vhen the coup-'- ler-heads are in workingposition, the springs 27 are compressed, as shown in Fig. 1, and theforce exerted by said springs is sullieient without requiring the use ofany special l'asteningor locking means between them.

A modilied form of supporting the couplersections is illustrated'inFigs. 6 and 7. In this embodiment of the invention the cross bar orplate 25 is supported at the lower ends of a yoke 32, which yoke isconnected by a swivel 33 with the drawdiead of the draftcoupling or apart supported thereby or "by the frame of the car. 'llhetluets 5 7 ofeach coupler-section are connected by suitable elbows tie-with suitablepipes by cmiplings sin'iilar to that at the end of the elbow 14,

Said coup-j ling consists ol two main members, each having a threadedend 35 36 for attachment to a pipe and being connected together by auniversal joint. As shown, the member 35 of said coupling is expandedinto a ball-likeportion 37, which is adapted to rest against a lead orother soft-metal seat 38 in the other member of the coupling. A metalpacking 39 surrounds said ball portion. 37, being held in place by aclamping-ring 40, which is secured in position by serewsh This con- 1 1strtiction rovides, a secure-and tight universal joint a l'theparts-ofwhich maybe made of metal." The clam ing-ringAOsurroundsa rib on themember 0 theeoupling connected with theelbow fie-and is provided with ano 'ening of practically the same diameter as t 0 portion of. the balllik'emen ber 37that extends throughit;

It will be noticed that be present inven tion rovides asimple aneifeotive coupling 12 5 for" uid ressure brake devices and avoidsentirely t ieuse rubber hose or othe'rflexible' conduitsthat is, by thepresent invention it ispossihle to provide a fluid-pressure

